Generation Zero is an '80s shooter from the studio that brought you Just Cause

Set in an alternate reality Swedish countryside inhabited by hostile robots

Staying busy: In addition to working on Generation Zero, Avalanche Studios is also developing Rage 2 and was recently purchased by Nordisk Film. Despite the acquisition, it's business as usual as the studio's strategy and team remains unchanged.

Avalanche Studios, the team responsible for 2015’s Mad Max and the Just Cause franchise, has announced a new open-world action game that looks rather interesting.

Set in a reimagined Sweden in the 1980s, Generation Zero is being built on the Apex game engine. Players – either solo or with up to three friends in co-op multiplayer – will do battle with hostile machines that have invaded the serene countryside.

According to the YouTube description, gamers will use battle-tested guerrilla tactics to lure, cripple or destroy enemies in “intense, creative sandbox skirmishes.” You’ll be able to support downed friends by reviving them and of course, share in the loot once an enemy has been toppled.

Particularly intriguing is the persistent aspect. When you damage a specific enemy component – say, armor, sensory equipment or weapons – the damage is permanent. That means you can come back minutes, hours or even weeks later and the enemy will still bear its battle scars.

Generation Zero is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC sometime in 2019. More information will likely be shared at E3 come next week.